Jedi Reilly

Oliver

In memory of Oliver, an orange Cornish Rex who lived to almost 22 years old.

When I first met Oliver, almost 10 years, I was sure he was on his last life, but he surprised me (and his mom, Katie) by proving himself almost immortal.

As a kitten, Oliver was returned to his breeder by a family who had a baby. When Katie got him, he came with a baby rattle he had stolen from the infant. This would prove prescient: Oliver was naughty through most of his nine lives, and enjoyed racing across counters and cabinetry.

Oliver had an incredible nine lives. He acquired Katie when she was 28, and has been with her since (except a few years in the middle, when she lost him in a divorce—her ex later gave Oliver back.) He traveled with her, often via road trip, and through homes in Arizona, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

He had the sweetest freckles, and was a known contortionist. In his final days, Katie showered him with the forbidden fruits: tuna and being outside.

Sir Apollo Tidmore-Metzger’s story:

(April 15 2005 – September 2, 2018)

A girl in Washington DC with a broken knee and a cat in the Midwest with a broken spirit united in May 2010. Apollo was frail and sick from severe neglect but on the upswing with Kirsten’s healing care. It would take me another few months on crutches… Apollo and I were quite the pair. Recall the first time I saw him, prancing down the condominium hallway, into the door, and right into my lap, purring as if he’d been waiting for this day his whole life, like me. I’d wanted a Sphynx for many years and ended up with the most special of the breed.

For the next few years we worked to build confidence and eventually he would begin to look me in the eyes and not at the ground or away anymore. In the end he would stare deeply into my eyes and give one last sweet meow before lying his head in his woobie and closing his eyes for the last time.

We were soul mates, my soul cat and I– always together. Apollo took countless flights, toured cities, attended fundraisers to raise money for less fortunate animals, went to the beach where he met sea lions, swam in a pool, basked in the glow of admirers in Manhattan, explored the memorials in DC, and even had a mention in the New York Times.

Apollo loved walks on his leash, soothing baths, cat nip, his jingly and feather stick toys, his woobie, endless snuggles, his mommy and daddy, pup sisters, kitty brother, and most of all his human baby sister who renewed his purpose– originally given 6-12 months to live after his first episode of congestive heart failure due to HCM, he went on to live just three months shy of 3 more years with the most grateful family for every minute of borrowed time.

With eternal gratitude we will always support and donate to SPCR, as well as encourage adoption with SPCR. You gave this cat mom some of the greatest years of her life with a cat who was truly Heaven sent– and to Heaven he has returned.